Tried the other day to reread the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) and finally gave up in disgust. Maybe this deal between Canada and the European Union is just too comprehensive for this non-trade expert to comprehend. And when you find the mainly French-speaking Wallonia area of Belgium is the last hold-out on the deal, . . . → Read More: Babel-on-the-Bay: CETA: The devil is in the details.

Poland’s man in Brussels, President of the European Council Donald Tusk, has truly settled into his shoes as a new member of the European elite. On Tuesday, he issued the stern warning: “Our inability to find agreement may lead to the bankruptcy of Greece and the insolvency of its banking system. And for sure, it . . . → Read More: Political Eh-conomy: The New Europeans: Like the Old on Greece

Poland’s man in Brussels, President of the European Council Donald Tusk, has truly settled into his shoes as a new member of the European elite. On Tuesday, he issued the stern warning: “Our inability to find agreement may lead to the bankruptcy of Greece and the insolvency of its banking system. And for sure, it . . . → Read More: Michal Rozworski » Political Eh-conomy: The New Europeans: Like the Old on Greece

The PM of Greece fired his first opening shot in the coming negotiations with the Troika of faceless technocrats and panoply of politicians, by huddling with the opposition parties and then releasing their statement of principles. Employing one of the necessary steps in Harvard U’s Getting to Yes negotiation handbook (a must for every politician, . . . → Read More: CuriosityCat: Greece tables unified set of negotiation principles with EU

It’s an idea that’s been kicked around for quite a while – the use of military force to thwart climate change migration. To some it’s a matter of doing what’s necessary to keep the barbarian horde at bay. Underlying it is this element of self-defence, self-preservation – necessity.

In light of the new Syriza government’s difficult struggle against the German dominated institutions of the Eurozone, I’ve revisited a little known book published ten years ago by political scientist Richard Dunphy called Contesting Capitalism? Left Parties and European Integration (Manchester University Press, 2004). In the book, Dunphy charts out the trajectory of the . . . → Read More: Parchment in the Fire: Contesting Capitalism in the Eurozone

On Friday as news of the Brussels deal came through, Germany claimed victory and it is no surprise that most of the working press bought the claim. They have high authorities to quote and to rely on. Thus from London The Independent reported:

The European Union has already institutionalized a litmus test that cuts to the core of the differences that separate the new European view of shared risks and vulnerabilities from the older American view of unlimited personal opportunities and individual prowess. It’s called “the precautionary principle,” and it has become the centerpiece of EU regulatory . . . → Read More: CuriosityCat: America versus the European Union: The Precautionary Principle

The soul-numbing mantra “we must compete in the global marketplace” is much heard these days. Conservative politicians and business groups toss it out tirelessly as an argument to reduce taxes, and weaken labour and environmental laws. Unfortunately, their argument is valid. Trade agreements have so reduced the ability of national governments to tax and to . . . → Read More: Bill Longstaff: Calling the bluff on "we must compete in the global marketplace"

Remember The Cullen Plan for pre-election electoral cooperation between the NDP and Liberals? He advocated a deal which enabled one candidate to run against the sitting Conservative MP, rather than splitting the vote and letting the Tory win, which is the reason Harper is in power right now. In . . . → Read More: CuriosityCat: David Cameron turning on the Spitzenkandidaten

Ukraine is in turmoil, with positions apparently hardening on all sides, since the Geneva Agreement outlining a method of resolution was agreed upon a short while ago. The level of support for the anti-Kiev position in eastern Ukraine is unclear at the moment: Armed men have seized public buildings in . . . → Read More: CuriosityCat: Ukraine: One possible Russian-driven solution

In the 19th century, the British and Russian empires’ strategic rivalry for supremacy in Central Asia was referred to as the Great Game. The game has never really ended as Russia has continued to vie with Western powers for influence and control in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. And in recent days, the Russians may . . . → Read More: Bill Longstaff: The Great Game—did Putin outplay the West in Crimea?

Today, much to the surprise of some, a public agreement was announced by the US, Russia, EU and current Ukraine government, dealing with concrete steps to move the matter forward. The following is the full text of that agreement, with the most important part (in my view) bolded: